Previously, those within the carafe manufacturing industry have failed to address the issue of marking a specific counter top carafe to indicate the type of liquid that is used in conjunction with the serving vessel.
It should be noted that the prior art listed below did not disclose patents that possess the novelty of the instant invention; however as an overview the following U.S. patents are considered related:
U.S. Pat. No.InventorIssue DateD 396,381ChungJul. 28, 1998D 410,364Ramirez et al.Jun. 1, 1999D 418,013FujiiDec. 28, 1999D 420,550ElshofFeb. 15, 20005,477,979Goessling et al.Dec. 26, 19955,531,353Ward et al.Jul. 2, 19966,301,961Rolfes et al.Oct. 16, 2001
Chung in U.S. design Pat. No. D 396,381 illustrates a travel mug with no indicia or color distinction indicating its contents.
Design Pat. No. D 410,364 issued to Ram irez et al. is for a convertible travel cup and bottle apparently having no marking or color indicating its contents.
Fujii in U.S. design Pat. No. D 418,013 discloses a classic mug beverage container with the lack of indication or color representing its contents.
Elshofin U.S. design Pat. D No. 420,550 illustrates a travel mug however it lacks any suggestion of its contents in either color or marking.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,979 issued to Goessling et al. discloses a beverage mug having a lid and a sipping liner. The lid is fitted to the liner while the liner ins on the mouth of the vessel simply by placing the lid over the liner and pressing downwardly.
Ward et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,353 is for a drinking cup device that has an open top and a separate base. The invention also has a removable lid that receives cup base on one side of the lid.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,961 of Rolfes et al. an insulated beverage carafe with volume indicator is presented for use in conjunction with an automatic drip coffee maker. The carafe includes a gauge to determine when the container is empty. This gauge is removable for washing but it is noted that the patent is silent regarding any special markings or indication of its contents.